Read on to see how my press release hacked off a leading food critic!
Last week was an amazing week for my new client Rose Yombo-Djema. She recently enrolled onto my PR course "The Ultimate PR Course: All Secrets Revealed" as she is launching a new range of delicious African chilli sauces.
She got her PR tool kit ready (Step 4, see below) with stunning product and profile shots. Plus a great bio so the journalists could learn more about her.
Then we had a 1:1 call so we could nail her press release (Step 5, below) using the proven template I have created.
Journalists receive 1000's of press releases per week and it's the ones with headlines that really stand out that will capture their attention.
So I warned Rose and said: "This title is quite out there...can we use it?" Luckily she was game.
The title of the release was:
"Move Over Levi Roots, beautiful young female entrepreneur has the secret sauce!"
We then sent the press release out to both trade and consumer press contacts for the food and drink sector as well as women's interests.
The response has been unprecedented. Leading glossy magazines such as Waitrose Food (average readership 1.5m), BBC Good Food Magazine (average readership 1m) as well as the key trade press all got in touch requesting high resolution images and more details.
WHAT A RESULT!
However, we did get one response that got me quite excited! A leading UK food critic got back to me He wasn't so complimentary. He asked why mentioning gender, age and looks would be a good idea to promote a client. Ending his email with "How depressing".
Well, the great thing here is that once you raise your head above the parapet it will get shot down, and who better to shoot me down than someone who is known for not mincing his words!
My clients often at the beginning of the course lack the confidence to pitch to the press or simply blow their own trumpets so I am always teaching them that they need to raise their heads above the parapet and it's when you hack someone off is when you know you are really doing a good job!
So I replied to him with the new press release title: "Move Over Levi Roots, entrepreneur has the secret sauce!" asking if he'd like some samples to review. I am still awaiting his reply...(Don't worry we will get him some samples and I am sure he will love them!)
Actually, I should have said that Levi used his charm and musical prowess with the guitar to hook the Dragon's Den Dragons (we'll mention that with the samples!)
The release went out at 1pm and by 4pm the story had been published on an important trade online publication with 20k Twitter followers. The following day another trade publication shared the story, so this headline, really worked. We are still getting press call outs.
I say, be controversial, it does pay off.
Another success story last week is a client who has her products being featured in Delicious Magazine (readership 184k), and another client is being featured in her local press as her story is important for the local community.
This stuff works.
I love my job.
Remember, before you start pitching it is essential that you follow my proven process, The 7 Steps on How to Get into the Press:
1. Your press hook and golden nuggets
2. Research your competition, client and journalist
3. Your PR toolkit
4. Your press release and biography
5. Your PR Plan of Action
6. Your PR campaign
7. Success, you're in the press, how to leverage it
By going over these 7 steps you will ensure you have the best chance of success with your pitches to the press.
Good luck and let me know how you get on with controversial headlines!